Ascent of Horsetrough Mountain on 2012-11-11

Ascent Trip Report

Came south on Jacks Gap Trail. Went south on AT from Chattahoochee Gap. Walked about 1.6 miles or so, then proceeded up the north side of Horsetrough. I went uphill after I walked over the 3rd (I think) man-made rock wall support over a small creek, or, just before the rhododendron "tunnel". The north side of Horsetrough was extremely challenging. Poor footing, huge rocks, steep inclines, and lots of dense trees/shrubs/briers made progress slow. Got whacked in the right eye by a recoiling branch...lower part of vision field was blurry and gray for 10 minutes. Finally made it to the top, then decided to head back by going east. The east side was much easier going as far as vegetation is concerned. The first half of the eastern descent was gently sloping. The second half was free of vegetation but became very steep...needed to switchback between trees in order to feel safe. Saw very few people all day...10 in total. Wanted to head to Spanairds, but it was quickly getting cloudy and very cool. Since I was not prepared for rain, I headed back to my truck. Overall, it was a challenging hike.